Meeting His Friend
by Symphonic Fantasia
Summary: Coming back to the islands and seeing Vaughn talking to someone new was something Gwen wasn't expecting. Who was she and what did she bring out of the animal trader that no one else could? That was the biggest answer she wanted to know. But she wasn't going to pry. Not yet anyway.


**Author's Notes: I feel...iffy about this one. I'm introducing Sabrina into it and I guess because, although I befriended her, I never really paid much attention to her character. Like I do all the other bachelorettes. Anyway, I don't want these Vaughn & Gwen fics to just be about them. That isn't the point. The point is to develop their friendship. Meeting someone that Vaughn is comfortable being around counts...right? Ah well.  
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**Ok, even though it is labeled as Vaughn and Gwen, it is more focused on Sabrina and Gwen. I'm counting it towards the Vaughn and Gwen stories. Yep. They are becoming friends. Also, any tips on making Sabrina better and easier for me to write will be greatly appreciated!  
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**Disclaimer: Yadda yadda. Don't own. You know the drill.  
**

* * *

"This...feels weird to me."

Julia looked up from her work to look at the direction Gwen was facing. A smile graced features as she viewed Sabrina talking to Vaughn further away from the shop. "Which part? Sabrina talking to Vaughn or Vaughn socializing in general?"

"Vaughn socializing in general," Gwen answered, leaning back on the shop's pasture fence. "So who's Sabrina anyway? I haven't seen her around the other few times I was here."

"She moved in a few weeks ago with her father. He's apparently the owner for some mining company. She's the accountant."

"I see... And she met Vaughn how?"

The other blonde chuckled, walking over to her friend. "Are you jealous, Gwen?"

Gwen jumped at the question, looking at Julia as if she had two heads. "Where did that come from?!"

"Just a thought~. Anyway, according to Chelsea, she wasn't feeling too well when Vaughn passed her. She looked ready to pass out so he helped her the rest of the way home."

"He helped her? Wonders never cease."

"That's what I said when I was told," Julia answered, moving back to her work. "But don't kid yourself into thinking he'll do it for everyone."

Gwen scoffed, looking away from the interacting pair to climb over the fence. "As if. I have a better chance of getting bit by a horse and we know how often that happens."

"There's always a chance for you to get bitten."

She grimaced at the sound of Vaughn's voice, looking over her shoulder as the cowboy came closer. "I'm a horse whisperer. It's not possible."

"I have my doubts."

Julia shook her head at the two bickering. "So, what did Sabrina want?"

"None of your business," Vaughn answered. He leaned forward to rest his elbows on the fence. "Shouldn't you be working?" Julia frowned but went back to caring for the cows in the pasture. He turned his gaze to Gwen, narrowing his yes slightly. "And don't you have someone else you should be distracting?"

Gwen frowned, brushing off his question. She knew when she wasn't wanted. "When you finally come down from your cloud nine talk with Sabrina, give me a holler." Hoping over the fence, she walked towards the forest, ignoring Vaughn's grunt of protest. Walking into the forest, she fixed the collar of her vest, trying to keep a bit of warmth in her. It was early Fall and as much as she loved the changing seasons, Gwen was not prepared in terms of clothing. She only came to Sunshine Islands for a day or two and already the place was cold. It wasn't very warm for an island.

She looked up as a flock of birds flew through the trees. Often at times, she wondered what kind of animals were living around in the forests. She didn't venture in the forests as much as she would have wanted. She was busy helping Julia and Mirabelle at the shop or messing with Vaughn. She made a note to step into this animal filled place more often then doing her other "tasks". A small flash in the deep forest to her right caught her attention. Narrowing her eyes, curiosity got the better of her. Venturing forward, Gwen took careful steps around the roots and plants, not wanting to bother either one of them. The flashing became brighter and brighter the closer she got. What could it possible be?

Unfortunately, she would never have a chance to see what it was. Her foot slip and she fell downwards into a steep slope. She let out a sharp yelp as she slid down. Finally, she landed in the soft dirt with a grunt. Gwen shook her head and moved to her hands and knees. "Wow... That was bad..." She looked up, finding the edge of her slope far from her reach. Even if she tried to jump she wouldn't have made it. Looking around, she couldn't even find anything to stand on to help her. "So...do I just sit here and...hope for someone to find me...?" That could take forever and she knew that. What more could she do?

She called for help.

"Help... Help... Help..." Gwen coughed, leaning over her knees. She had been calling for who knows how long. An hour maybe. Maybe more. She looked up, hoping to see the son but saw only trees blocking her view. The more time passed, the more she believed that no one was going to find her. She would end up staying here alone for who knows how long. And what about when it rained? How was that going to go? Would she drown? Float to the top? Probably neither. Soil could soak up water really well.

"Oh Goddess, _**somebody help me**_!"

"H-hello? Is anybody t-there...?"

A voice? Good Goddess, she was saved! Gwen stood up, looking up the slope. "Yeah, someone is here! Can you help me? Or get some help?"

"O-oh, goodness! Hold on...! I-I'll...I'll..."

"Any kind of help will be great. Just make sure no one comes too close because-"

"A-ah...!"

Oh boy. Gwen knew that sound. Although she knew it, she didn't have a chance to get away in time. A lighter weight fell on top of her, making her fall over with a grunt. "Nice...landing... Oh..."

"I-I'm so s-sorry..." the girl said, moving off of her.

"No, it's fine..." Gwen muttered, sitting on her knees. She looked over at her new comrade, her eyes widening slightly at the person. "You're...Sabrina, aren't you?"

Sabrina stared at Gwen, confused on how she would know her name. She had seen the blonde around a few times on the island but not often. Although she had seen her mostly with Vaughn, Sabrina to shy to ask who she was. So, she left it alone. "Y-yes...? H-how do you know my name...?"

The blonde chuckled, moving so she sat on her rump rather than her knees. "I saw you talking to Vaughn today. Julia told me who you were."

"O-oh really...?"

She nodded, watching as Sabrina became a bit more flustered and nervous. How was she suppose to handle this? Not only was she now trapped with someone she didn't know, but still they didn't have anyone to get them out of here. She picked at the hem of her skirt, frowning at it before smiling. "Let's start from the beginning. I'm Gwen. Nice to meet you."

Sabrina smiled, the blush lightening up on her cheeks. "N-nice to meet you..." She looked up, frowning at the edges and how far away they were. "Who would even d-dig something this like...?"

"My guess is that someone did it as a prank but dug too deep. Or, it's always been here and I was the only one who was stupid enough to fall for it. Literally," she explained.

The ravenette scooted closer to her, giving her a soft smile. "Please don't feel s-so down on yourself. Everyone makes mistakes..."

Gwen smiled at her, resting her chin in her hand. "That's sweet. You're wrong but sweet."

Sabrina giggled and tucked her legs beneath her. "Thank you but it's true. Everyone does."

"Now you're being really sweet and persistent."

She flustered, scooting away from the blonde. "I-I'm sorry... I didn't know. I..."

Gwen reached out, touching her shoulder gently. "Hey, hey. Relax. It's ok. You have nothing to apologize for."

"S-sor-" Sabrina started until she saw the stern look her companion gave her. I guess it's a force of h-habit..."

"Not a good habit at all," she reminded, taking her hand back. "But it's ok. No one's perfect. Besides, you remind me of a friend of mine so I'm use to apologies and nervous stuttering."

"A-are you?"

"Mhm. My friend Gina has the habit too but she can be great once you warm up to her. It took everyone a while but she eventually grew on us and us on her." Gwen chuckled. "So don't feel so bad. I really don't mind your stuttering or apologies."

"I see..." she murmured, looking down in her lap. They sat in silence, hearing the sounds of nature around them. Even down in a ditch, the animals were still loud. For a brief moment, Sabrina wished they would be quiet for a moment so she could get her thoughts together.

"Vaughn seems a lot nicer to you then I've seen him with anyone else."

The girl jumped in surprise, looking at the blonde with a light blush on her face. "W-what...?"

"Well, he's kinder and seems to have more patience with you. I'm lucky enough I can get a conversation with him before we irritate each other," Gwen explained.

"I see... I don't know why but...he's been like that w-with me for a while... He helped me when I was feeling unwell." Sabrina chuckled, clasping her hands together. "He told me that it was because if he didn't help, I'd be in the way of people. But I know he's caring deep down."

"Deep down huh?" _How deep? The center of the Earth deep? Sure seems like it._ Gwen stretched her arms above her head, releasing a yawn. "Well, at least he's showing it to someone. Now people can stop thinking he's some sort of robot." Herself not included. She believed people were cold but not completely. It just took the right person to show it.

"Y-yes..." Sabrina looked back up at the forests. If only she knew what time it was. "How long have you been down h-here...?"

She hummed in thought, taping her chin. "Can't say for sure. A few hours maybe? It's probably dark by now."

"O-oh dear..."

Gwen looked over at Sabrina, seeing the fear and worry in her eyes. That was not what she had intended to do. "H-hey, don't worry about it. I'm sure someone will find us." Hopefully soon. If not, well, she didn't know what she would do. Maybe if she put Sabrina on her shoulders and lifted her up. Then she could go and get some help. But was she afraid of heights? She didn't want to risk it to find out. "Well...what do you want to do while we're down here?"

"I-I don't know..."

She hummed in thought, tapping her chin. There really wasn't anything her and Sabrina could talk about. She was quiet and mousey, something Gwen wasn't. So, what was there to talk about? Animals? Possible. Books? Possible as well. There were a few topics they could talk about but nothing came to mind and if they did, she didn't have the nerve to bring them out. They rested on the tip of her tongue, begging her to break the silence between them. "Well, why don't you tell me about yourself?"

Sabrina looked up at her, her eyes wide behind her glasses. "Do you r-really want to hear about that...?"

"Sure," Gwen answered, giving her a shrug. "We might as well get to know each other. Who knows how long we'll be here."

The ravenette nodded, fiddling with her fingers. She leaned back against the dirt wall, looking downa t her lap. "Well...my mother died when I was young so my father has been raising me since then. H-he may be a little strict but he really is k-kind to me... Although, he's a bit overprotective..."

She snorted, leaning over her knees. "Gee. How can you handle that?"

"W-well, I think it helps that I-I'm not very outgoing... I was homeschooled by him as well..."

"Really?" Gwen felt a twinge of emotion for the girl. She felt a bit of pity for her. She had been robbed of an important part of life: going to school and making some friends. Gwen didn't know why her father did it. Maybe he was just thinking about her safety.

Sabrina nodded again. "Yes... I-I became good with numbers and became the a-accountant for his company." The girl played with her fingers again, reprimanding herself when she almost picked at her fingernails. "When I'm not helping him, I read books or p-paint..."

"You paint?"

"Y-yes, I do!" she said happily, looking up at Gwen. "It's really quite fun and the island has a lot of things for me to paint. I like looking around mostly at the beach or in the forest. I was...actually looking for something to paint before I...fell down the rabbit hole, I suppose..."

"Nice expression," the blonde answered, leaning back against the dirt. "Sorry I disturbed you, then. You probably wouldn't be in this mess if I hadn't called out to you."

"It's ok, Gwen! R-really, it is..."

She held her hands up, not going to argue with the other girl. "Whatever you say."

Sabrina gave a nervous giggle, moving her hands to play at the piece of stray thread sticking out from her dress. It had been a while since she talked about herself. Not even Vaughn had asked her. At least, not yet anyway. "S-so what about you...?"

"Hm? Oh!" Gwen laughed, resting her chin on her hands. "I'm nothing special. I went to school in the city and moved to Leaf Valley as soon as I graduated. I take care of the paperwork and a few projects at my grandfather's carpentry but I lend a hand at my friends ranch sometimes."

"A ranch?"

"Mhm. He has mostly horses though. A few cows and chickens but those are mostly to be sold. His family is where I got my horse, Napoleon."

"You're a rider t-too?" Sabrina asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Hey hey, you're asking more questions then I asked you. Is that really fair?" Then again, Gwen had no one to blame but herself. She could probably relate book wise with Sabrina but painting? It was never her strong point in school and it definitely wasn't now. Sabrina couldn't really relate to carpentry and horses now could she?

"I-I'm sorry..."

"It's ok."

The silence that enveloped them felt awkward and strange. They had tried to get to know one another but it didn't seem to help them at all. Could they talk about books? Maybe but Gwen's own library was small. In fact, it couldn't even be considered a library. She had at least eight books on her bookshelf back home. Sabrina was a rich girl. Her library was most likely as big as a library or at least a school's library. What more could she do but remain silent and hope the feeling disappeared soon.

Gwen ran her fingers through her hair again just as Sabrina sighed heavily. Already boredom was setting in on them. Now Gwen wished she had a deck of cards or something. All she had in her pockets was her money and nothing more. Sabrina didn't seem like she had her own things on her with that dress and thin sweater she was wearing. Knowing that, now Gwen felt like they were down here for even longer even though it may have been only a few minutes.

"Gwen?" She looked over at her, seeing Sabrina looking back down at her lap. "How...do you know Vaughn...?"

She stared at her. Where did that come from? Was she curious about Vaughn? Wanted to get to know him better? Then why was she asking her? Gwen didn't know anything about Vaughn. "Well...I just came for vacation and hung around the animal shop. He happened to be around. I 'bothered' him. We raced, we raced again and...that's it I guess. We've been acquaintances ever since." It was nothing fancy but what more could she saw? Her and Vaughn were each others thorns in their sides.

"I-I see... You two met in a more n-normal circumstance then he and I did..."

"Hey, he helped you out. That seems pretty normal to me."

"I-I suppose..."

Silence once again came over them. They twitched and fiddled with their hands, hoping to have something to say to one another. But nothing came to mind. They would have to stay in this awkward air for who knows how long.

"_Gwen! Sabrina! Are either of you two here?!"_

The two girls looked up at the edge, their hearts beating rapidly in their chest. Hope was buzzing about them. They hoped that it was someone with a rope or a ladder. Any one of them would be great. Gwen stood up immediately, standing back from the slope a bit. "We're down here!" A flashlight shone in their faces, making both girls shield their eyes from the brightness. "Oh wow..."

"Are you two alright?" Chen's voice called down to them. "We're sending a rope down to you now!"

"W-we're fine!" Sabrina called up to her, standing up next to Gwen.

Before long, a rope came down to meet them. Gwen took hold of it, tying it with a loop at the end. "Put your foot in it. We'll make them pull you up." Sabrina nodded, doing as she was told. She gripped the rope tightly and Gwen gave it a tug, allowing the others to pull Sabrina up and out of the ditch. Good. That was one person free from this dirt grave. The rope came back down again and she immediately grabbed it, working on pulling herself up.

A gloved hand reached out for her and she took it, being pulled up immediately after. Gwen came face to face with Vaughn, a stern look on his face. "Well then, my hero," she said mockingly, allowing him to bring her to safer ground. Around them were a few of the other islanders. Gannon and Chen along with Taro and another man. He was fussing over Sabrina and seemed to be scolding her. It could only be her father.

"How'd you even manage to fall down there?" Vaughn asked, bringing his rope up and tying it to his belt.

She looked back at him before shrugging. "I saw something and I went to go investigate it. Ended up falling down the ditch."

"That's clumsy of you."

"Gee thanks," she muttered, glaring at him. She looked up as Sabrina came over, a smile on her face. "Something wrong?"

Sabrina shook her head. "N-no, not at all. T-thank you so much for helping me and p-passing the time with me..."

"Oh, don't worry about it!" Gwen reached out, patting her shoulder. "I should thank you for falling down there with me. I don't think anyone would come looking for someone who didn't live here!"

"O-oh, please don't say that, Gwen. I'm sure someone would have come to find you. Maybe even Vaughn."

She looked over her shoulder and looked at Vaughn. He leered at her, crossing his arms. Vaughn go look for her? That was a funny thought. She was lucky enough if he cared or worried about her. "Well, I wouldn't say that, but thanks anyway. And take care of yourself, ok?"

She nodded before waving at her and Vaughn and walking back to her father. "You dragged her down there too?"

Gwen sighed heavily through her nose. "No, I didn't. She heard me call for help, came to see what's up, and accidentally fell in too." She rubbed her back, stretching a bit. "She had a soft landing at least."

"Mm. Well, come on. Mirabelle and Julia have been worried about you."

"Are they?" Vaughn nodded and a soft smile came to her lips. "You know, Vaughn, most girls would have probably swooned if they came face to face with you~."

He glared at her, brushing past her violently. "Do you want them to feed you or do you want to be pushed down the ditch again?"

"You know, Sabrina's a sweet girl." She noticed as Vaughn flinched before continuing to walk ahead of her. "I mean, it's not wonder you like her. I would too. Actually, I do. She's quiet so she's comfortable to be around." Grinning, she reached over and patted his back hard. "So you better hurry up and claim that girl as yours!"

Vaughn looked over his shoulder to glare at her. "Keep it up, Gwen, and I'll make you wish you stayed in that ditch...!"

She chuckled, following him as he made his way out of the forest. Hearing about a different side of Vaughn and meeting someone new? There really was never a dull moment whenever she visited. Out of all her visits to Sunshine Islands, this just might have been one of her best trips yet. She only hoped that something knew the next time she came around.


End file.
